César Sánchez facts for kids
César in 2010
|
|||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | César Sánchez Domínguez | ||
| Date of birth | 2 September 1971 | ||
| Place of birth | Coria, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Playing position | Goalkeeper | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Plasencia | |||
| Valladolid | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1991–1992 | Valladolid B | 17 | (0) |
| 1992–2000 | Valladolid | 206 | (0) |
| 2000–2005 | Real Madrid | 20 | (0) |
| 2005–2008 | Zaragoza | 110 | (0) |
| 2008–2009 | Tottenham Hotspur | 0 | (0) |
| 2009–2011 | Valencia | 63 | (0) |
| 2011–2012 | Villarreal | 2 | (0) |
| Total | 418 | (0) | |
| National team | |||
| 2000 | Spain | 1 | (0) |
|
|||
César Sánchez Domínguez, often known simply as César, is a Spanish former professional footballer. He was a talented goalkeeper. Born on September 2, 1971, he played for many top Spanish clubs.
César played 401 games in 20 seasons in La Liga, Spain's highest football league. He played for clubs like Valladolid, Real Madrid, Zaragoza, Valencia, and Villarreal. He was the main goalkeeper for three of these teams. With Real Madrid, he won seven major titles, including the UEFA Champions League in 2002. He also played one game for the Spanish national team.
After retiring from playing, César worked as a sporting director for Valencia from January to June 2020.
Contents
César Sánchez's Club Career
Starting Out at Valladolid
César was born in Coria, Cáceres, a town in Spain. He grew up learning football at Real Valladolid's youth academy. He made his first team debut in 1992. He quickly became a key player for Valladolid. Between 1995 and 2000, he played almost every league game.
Playing for Real Madrid
In 2000, César joined La Liga giants Real Madrid. At first, he was a backup to the young star Iker Casillas. However, in the 2001–02 season, César became the main goalkeeper. He started five of the nine UEFA Champions League matches. Real Madrid won the Champions League that year. César played in the final against Bayer 04 Leverkusen. He had to leave the game early due to an injury. Casillas came on and helped the team win.
Time at Zaragoza and Tottenham
César moved to Real Zaragoza in 2005. He was the team's main goalkeeper for three seasons. In 2008, after Zaragoza was relegated, he moved to Tottenham Hotspur in England. He played only one game for the London club. This was a 4–2 win against Liverpool in the League Cup.
Success with Valencia
César returned to Spain in January 2009. He joined Valencia CF on a free transfer. Valencia needed a goalkeeper because their main one was injured. César quickly became the starting goalkeeper. He kept his spot even after the injured player returned.
He played very well for Valencia. He helped the team finish third in the league in 2010. This meant Valencia qualified for the Champions League. He signed new contracts to stay with the club. On April 2, 2011, César became one of the oldest goalkeepers to play in the Spanish League. He was 39 years and 212 days old. He helped his team finish third again in the 2010–11 season.
Later Career and Retirement
After leaving Valencia, César signed with Villarreal CF in 2011. He made his league debut for them in September. He became one of only a few players to play in a Spanish top division match over the age of 40.
After retiring from playing, César returned to Valencia in January 2020. He became the club's sporting director. This job involves managing the team's football operations. He resigned from this role five months later.
International Career
César played one game for the Spanish national team. This was on August 16, 2000. It was a friendly match against Germany in Hannover. Spain lost the game 4–1.
Honours and Achievements
César won several important titles during his career, especially with Real Madrid:
Real Madrid
- La Liga: 2000–01
- Supercopa de España: 2001, 2003
- UEFA Champions League: 2001–02
- Intercontinental Cup: 2002
- UEFA Super Cup: 2002
See also
In Spanish: César Sánchez Domínguez para niños
- List of La Liga players (400+ appearances)
- List of Real Zaragoza players (+100)
